New 'Man of Steel' Poster: Superman in Chains

A new poster for next summer's Man of Steel has landed gracefully online.

One of the issues that this reboot must address is the contemporary perception of Superman as too powerful and virtuous, a character out of touch for these times in which we're more likely to identify with a traumatized billionaire who dresses as a bat. This poster deals with that by putting new Superman Henry Cavill in handcuffs, looking stoic despite being in military custody.

Anyone lucky enough to be in Hall H for the Warner Bros. presentation at San Diego Comic-Con will recognize this image, as it's straight from the extended trailer that director Zack Snyder showed off at the con. For most folks, though, this is their first look at the new Superman being escorted down a hallway by a bunch of heavily armed U.S. military men. Either way, the question is whether or not this a Superman rendered powerless by villainous machinations or if a young Clark Kent is voluntarily refraining from snapping those handcuffs simply to prove a point to humanity.

In less than two weeks, we'll be seeing a new theatrical trailer for Man of Steel attached to The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. That kicks off six crucial months over which Warner Bros. will have to convince audiences that Superman, Joel Siegel and Joe Shuster's invention of the superhero, is not an outdated hero.

The poster debuted on Facebook as a bit of cross promotion for tomorrow's release of The Dark Knight Rises on Blu-ray, DVD, and Laserdisc. Man of Steel is executive produced by that film's director, Christopher Nolan, who collaborated on the retold origin story with his Batman Begins co-writer David S. Goyer.